Toy trimaran watercraft

ABSTRACT

A TOY TRIMARAN DRIVEN BY A PADDLE WHEEL. THE THREE FLOATS OR HULLS, EQUIPPED WITH PLANES, ARE HELD APART IN A GENERALLY TRIANGULAR CONFIGURATION BY WIRES OR RODS. THE PADDLE WHEEL, DRIVEN BY A RUBBER BAND OR THE LIKE, IS LOCATED INSIDE THE TRIANGLE. THE HULLS AND PADDLE WHEEL MAY BE MADE OF PLASTIC FOAM, AND THE PLANES AND PADDLES MADE OF LIGHT SEMI-RIGID SHEET MATERIAL AND INSERTED INTO SLITS THEREIN. THE PADDLES HAVE A NOVEL SHAPED WHICH PRODUCES AN UPWARD THRUST REACTION TO ASSIST IN THE HULLS RISING UPON THEIR PLANES. IN OPERATION, THE CRAFT PLANES AT A RELATIVELY HIGH SPEED FOR A LONG RANGE. NO ADHESIVES NOR SEPARATED FASTENERS ARE NEEDED IN THE CONSTRUCTION. THE CRAFT CAN BE ASSEMBLED FROM A KIT WITHOUT USING TOOLS.

Dec. 7, 1971 J. P. QUIRK TOY TRIMARAN WATERCRAFT Filed Dec.

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7 7 We W *5 20 465w United States Patent 3,624,959 TOY TRIMARAN WATERCRAFT John P. Quirk, 970 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92627 Filed Dec. 5, 1969, Ser. No. 882,450 Int. Cl. A6311 23/02 U.S. CI. 4693 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy trimaran driven by a paddle wheel. The three floats or hulls, equipped with planes, are held apart in a generally triangular configuration by wires or rods. The paddle wheel, driven by a rubber band or the like, is located inside this triangle. The hulls and paddle wheel may be made of plastic foam, and the planes and paddles made of light semi-rigid sheet material and inserted into slits therein. The paddles have a novel shape which produces an upward thrust reaction to assist in the hulls rising up On their planes. In operation, the craft planes at a relatively high speed for a long range. No adhesives nor separate fasteners are needed in the construction. The craft can be assembled from a kit without using tools.

This invention relates to toy watercraft which may be sold in kit form and assembled by the user, and operated in lakes, ponds, swimming pools, and the like. The invention further relates to such craft or boats which have a plurality of floats or hulls spaced apart, and are driven by a paddle wheel or the like located therebetween.

The invention provides for planes or hydrofoils attached to and spaced below the bottom portions of the hulls, and for a novel shape of the paddles which assists in planing, and hence in increasing the speed and range of the craft. A further feature of the invention is an overall construction which permits assembly without the use of adhesives, separate fasteners, or tools.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a watercraft according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the craft of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of a portion of the paddle wheel, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the watercraft may have three floats or hulls 1, 2, 3, connected rigidly together in spaced relation by means of three elongated wire or rod-like connecting elements 4a, 4b, 4c. The hulls 1-3 may have holes into which these connecting elements or members are inserted, as shown on the forward float 1 in FIG. 1, and in both hull 1 and hull 3 in FIG. 2. Connecting member 40 may be called the aft connecting member. Hulls 1-3 may be made of a low-density buoyant cellular material such as polystyrene foam. It will be noted that the generally triangular structure provides an inherent rigidity that is not attainable with two or four or more hulls without considerable additional structural complication.

The hulls 13 are disposed generally as at the vertices of a triangle, with the connecting members 4a, 4b, 40 forming generally the sides of the triangle. This terminology is intended to distinguish over prior cross-shaped and other frame arrangements, and does not herein imply that the connecting members 4a-4c are necessarily straight, but rather that they intersect only at the vertices. Side members 4a, 4b may be curved or bent as in FIG. 1 without departing from the above meaning.

Planes 7, 7, FIGS. 1-3, are attached to the forward hull 1, and planes 8, 8' to each aft hull 3, 2. Two planes 7, 7' are provided on forward hull 1 for symmetry. A single plane of generally symmetrical shape could obviously be used in their place.

3,624,959 Patented Dec. 7, 1971 Each plane 7, 7' has a generally horizontal portion 17 which is inclined slightly with the forward end higher than the aft end; this portion planes on the water when the craft is moving fast enough, as indicated with respect to the water surface 33 in FIG. 2. Each plane 7, 7 may be attached to hull 1 by a vertically-extending portion which fits into a 'kerf or slit in the lower portion of hull 1, as indicated at 40 in FIG. 3. Each plane also has a downwardly-extending fin portion 20, to help keep the craft on course.

The two aft hulls 2, 3 may each be provided with a plane -8, 8' shaped generally like one of the forward planes 7 or 7', and attached similarly to their respective hulls by vertically-extending portions fitted into slots or kerfs in each hull, as at 40' in FIG. 2. These aft planes have generally horizontal, inclined planing surfaces 18 similar to the planing surfaces 17 of the forward planes, and fin portions 20 similar to those on the forward planes.

All the planes may be made of sheet material and be push-fitted by hand into the slits made in the hulls to receive them.

The paddle wheel 5, FIGS. 1-3, may preferably be located inside the generally triangular space whose vertices are defined by the hulls 1, 2, 3, and may be driven by a rubber band or other suitable elastic element or spring element 9. This band 9 may be stretched between the side connecting members 4a and 4b, and so help to hold the assembly of hulls and connecting members together.

Paddle wheel 5 may be of light cellular material such as polystyrene foam or balsa wood, similarly to the hulls 1-3, and may be formed into a Starfish-like shape as shown, with generally radial arms. It may also, alternatively, be molded of a solid plastic material in thin, ribbed sections, for lightness, economy, and rigidity, as is known in the art. The paddles 6 may be integral, or may be bent or molded from thin sheet material, and be attached to the arms of wheel 5 by having their root portions fitted or pushed into kerfs or slits as indicated at 41, FIG. 2.

The tip portion of each paddle 6 may be bent slightly forward (reckoned when the paddle is down) in order to push downward as well as backward at the water. This is shown best on the bottom-most paddle in FIG. 2, which is down in the water. Each paddle tip portion 6 may also have side wing portions bent towards the back, as shown best at 60, FIG. 1. Both the angle of the tip portion 6', described above, and the bent side portions 60, are found to provide higher propulsion efficiency and better planing.

It is to be noted that the forward inclination of tip portion 6' of each paddle 6 provides a downward component of thrust as well as the normal backward component. The reaction from this downward component is upward, and assists in making the craft rise up on its planes and go faster. The central location of the paddle wheel 5 permits this upward component of reaction to act in a generally similar manner on all three hulls 13, so that all are assisted in rising up onto their planes. In contrast, a stern paddle or a stern screw propeller with an inclined axis would not be effective in this manner, since it would tend to force the stern upward and the bow downward.

The reaction vectors are indicated in FIG. 2 on the downmost paddle. Vector 71 is the reaction from the force of paddle 6 against the water. Its horizontal component 72 drives the toy craft forward. Its upward component 73 assists in planing.

The rubber band or other elastic or spring element 9, which furnishes the energy to drive the craft, may extend through a hub in the form of a hollow tube 30, which in turn may be push-fitted through a suitable hole in the center of the paddle wheel 5. To provide a torque connection between element 9 and the paddle wheel 5,

3 a pin 31 may be provided, FIGS. 1-3, which extends through the paddle wheel 5, the hub or tube 30, and between the strands of elastic element 9.

Referring again to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the lowest portion of each hull, as indicated at 44, is some distance above the surface 33 of the water when the craft is planing. It is found that this permits fast planing operation in relatively rough water, wherein waves may be roughly as high as the distance from planes 17 to hull surfaces 44 without striking the hulls and slowing the craft down below planing speed.

It will be seen that every component of the watercraft of this invention may be assembled by a force fit or by tension, and that thus all the parts can be assembled without tools. The assembled toy craft may typically be about 14 inches long and 12 inches wide, and be very light in weight; but in kit form it can be packed into a relatively small carton. A working model of the craft has been found to have a range of approximately 100 feet at an average speed of 5 feet per second.

Various modifications, known to the product engineering art and considered obvious therein, are within the purview of the invention: for example, the use of a spring instead of an elastic band at 9; the molding of the paddle wheel, paddles, or planes in thin sections of relatively stiff plastic; or the making of the connecting members 4a, 4b, 4c of elongated U-li'ke sections of metal or plastic instead of wire, rod, or tubing. Two, or all three, of such connecting members could obviously be made in a unitary piece; and the members could intersect the hulls at any appropriate angles or locations. Adhesives may be used in assembly to make the structure more permanent.

I claim:

1. A watercraft comprising:

three lightweight hulls spaced apart by elongated connecting members,

a paddle wheel between said members,

a plane below each of said hulls adapted to plane on the water surface, and

torsional elastic driving means for said paddle wheel secured between intermediate points on each of two of said members,

said hulls being disposed generally as at the vertices of a triangle, with said members generally forming its sides.

2. A watercraft comprising:

a plurality of hulls spaced apart by connecting members, a paddle wheel between said members, and planes attached to and extending below said hulls,

paddles on said wheel having end portions forwardly inclined and wing portions backwardly inclined,

said end portions imparting a generally backward and downward thr-ust against the water, the upward component of reaction of said thrust assisting said watercraft to rise up on said planes to in crease its speed.

3. A watercraft as in claim 1, wherein:

said hulls number a forward hull and two aft hulls,

said forward hull is connected to each aft hull by a bent side connecting member,

said aft hulls are connected together in spaced relation by an aft connecting member, and

said intermediate points are on said side connecting members.

4. A watercraft as in claim 3, further comprising:

an elongated hollow hub on said paddle Wheel,

said wheel being of relatively large diameter and relatively narrow;

said elastic driving means passing through said hub,

whereby said watercraft moves a relatively long distance per revolution of said driving means and the plane of rotation of said wheel is stabilized by said hub.

5. A watercraft as in claim 4, wherein:

said hulls are of buoyant cellular material,

said planes are of sheet material fitted into slits in said hulls,

said connecting members are fitted into holes in said hulls, and

said driving element is under tension, said tension assisting to hold said connecting members and hulls together.

6. A watercraft as in claim 5, wherein:

said paddle wheel is of light cellular material, and

said paddles are of thin sheet material fitted into slits in said paddle wheel.

7. A toy watercraft as in claim '5, wherein:

said planes have planing portions slightly inclined forward and upward, vertical portions fitting into said said slits, and fin portions extending downward from said planing portions.

:8. A watercraft as in claim 3, wherein:

each said plane has a generally horizontal, slightly inclined lower surface adapted to plane on the water,

each said surface being spaced substantially below its respective hull,

to permit planing in relatively rough water.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,332,634 3/1920 Piateski 469l X l,533,634 4/1925 Chellman 46-93 1,744,904 1/ 1930 Kelly 46-93 2,238,464 4/1941 Fletcher 46-93 UX 2,351,542 6/ 1944 iPaull 4693 LOUIS G. MANOENE, Primary Examiner D. L. WE/I'NHOLD, JR., Assistant Examiner 

